Across the world, women and girls are affected the most by poverty. From the moment they are born, girls face inequalities and injustice in almost every aspect of their lives.

Females experience violence, female genital mutilation, rape, early forced marriage, death through childbirth, unpaid labour, neglect and abuse. Often they don’t get the chance to go to school, earn a living, or even have any rights over what happens to their own bodies.

With more than 40 years of experience, we know that helping girls into education is the key to changing lives for good. An educated girl is more likely to grow up to be a healthy, empowered woman who can make her own choices, earn her own income, and protect and educate her own children.

ActionAid puts women and girls at the centre of our work across 45 countries. We make sure girls go to and stay in school, we work with communities to end gender-based violence, and we train women in the skills they need to earn a living. We also help women prepare for and recover from disasters, at a time when they can be at their most vulnerable.